After Jesus died upon the cross and was resurrected Mark wrote, “when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint” Jesus' body. Mark continued, “And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he said unto them, Be not affrighted: You seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee: there shall you see him, as he said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulcher; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid”, and in chapter sixteen and verse nine of his book, Mark shared, “when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene”, where we read:
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had cast seven devils.
The verse reads, “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, ...” Mark began with the words, “now when” or “moreover at the time and moment” “Jesus was risen” which means “Jesus, who is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation, was arisen, raised and resurrected from the dead” “early the first day of the week” or “in the early morning of the first day, Sunday, which belongs to each week, or in the fourth watch of the night which is between 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock of the first day which begins the week”, “he appeared first” which means “Jesus showed Himself, became evident, was bright and resplendent in the chief place in rank, influence and honor” “to Mary Magdalene” which refers to “a woman from Magdala whose name means their rebellion and a tower”. Mark referred to how Jesus showed Himself to “Mary Magdalene” “first” after He was “resurrected” early on Sunday morning.
The verse continues, “... out of whom he had cast seven devils.” Mark continued with the words, “out of whom” which means “from whom” “he had cast” or “Jesus had thrown and driven out” “seven devils” which refers to “seven evil spirits or messengers and ministers of the devil”. Mark shared how Jesus had “driven” “seven” of the “devil's messengers” out of “Mary Magdalene”.
When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we learn of Jesus' “first” choice to whom He would reveal Himself after His resurrection. “Mary Magdalene”, from whom Jesus cast “seven evil spirits”, was the “first” person who saw Jesus. As though God desired to let people know that everyone, regardless of their past, can know His Son Jesus as the “resurrected” “Savior and Lord” of the world, Jesus met with “Mary Magdalene” before anyone else. God wants to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when Jesus died and was resurrected from the dead, He provided access to Him regardless of a person's past.
Next time Mark shared how Mary Magdalene, “went and told them that had been with” Jesus, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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